Lasting machine



A. BATES LASTING MACHINE March 1, 1938.

Filed May 4, 1937 lUl-Illl llllllll lllP Patented Mar. 1, 1938 PATENT OFFICE LASTIN G MACHINE Arthur Bates, Leicester,

England, assignor to United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Paterson, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application May 4, 1937, Serial No. 140,686 In Great Britain June 26, 1936 9 Claims.

This invention relates to lasting machines and particularly to lasting machines of the type having a single gripper which is arranged to operate in a step-by-step manner to work successive portions: of a shoe upper over a last and having means for securing said successive portions in lasted relation to an insole on the last bottom, for example, by means of tacks driven through the upper and into the insole.

10 Amachine of this general kind is disclosed in Letters Patent of the United States No. 584,744, granted June 15, 1897, upon application ofLadd and McFeely. This prior machine is provided with an insole-engaging foot or tread rest against 1 which the operator holds the shoe as he presents it to the machine and which serves to support the shoe against upward movement as the gripper pulls upwardly on the upper. however, has an overdraw as well as an updraw movement, and the wiper, as it works inwardly over the shoe bottom to lay the upper against the insole, also tends to push the shoe away from the machine and the tread rest frequently does not present suificient resistance to the tendencies of the machine to push the shoe outwardly, with the result that the shoe is displaced and the upper is not lasted as correctly and effectively as it would be otherwise.

An object of this invention is to provide the tread rest of machines of this type with means for preventing bodily forward or outward movement of the shoe when the gripper acts to lay a portion of the upper over the insole and the wiper acts to lay the upper upon the insole and to per- 35 mit, at other times, the necessary feeding movements of the shoe between successive operations of the lasting instrumentalities. As illustrated herein, the tread rest, which as usual is arranged for adjustment vertically and forwardly and rear- 0 wardly with respect to the machine, is provided with a sticker point for digging into the insole to hold the shoe in a substantially positive manner against movement forwardly during the action of the gripper and other lasting instrumen- 4 talities. The sticker point is slidingly mounted in the tread rest so that its pointed end can be projected through the insole-engaging face of the tread rest to hold the shoe from outward movement and may be withdrawn to permit 50' movement of the shoe. Means is provided for automatically projecting and withdrawing the sticker point at the proper time in the cycle of the machine, and this mechanism is so arranged that the tread rest can be adjusted both vertically 55 and forwardly and rearwardly without affecting The gripper,

the operation of the mechanism by which the sticker point is projected and withdrawn.

The drawing is a side view of a lasting machine showing the operating instrumentalities'orgam' ized as disclosed in the above-mentioned patent 5 and embodying the present invention.

The machine is provided with the usual gripper ill which is arranged, after the jaws have been closed to grip the upper, to be lifted bodily to tension the upper and then to swing forwardly to lay the gripped portion of the upper over the insole. The gripper, as in prior machines of this type, may if desired be given the usual lateral and twisting movements to plait the upper. 15

The machine is also provided with a tack block and wiper I2 which advances after the gripper has laid each portion of the upper over the insole to wipe that portion flat against the margin of the insole and to carry forward into position to be driven into the work by a driver I 4 a tack previously fed into the tack block from the usual raceway. To locate the shoe laterally the usual thin edge rest "5 and thick edge rest 18 are provided.

To support the shoe against the upward movement of the gripper l0 during the updraw movement of the gripper, the machine is provided with a tread rest member 20 the lower end of which has a smooth surface to engage the insole A of a shoe mounted upon a last B of which the upper C is being progressively lasted by the gripper l0 and other lasting instrumentalities of the machine. The rest member 26 is provided on its upper side with a dovetailed guide 22 which is adapted to 3 be received in a similar guideway formed in a block 24 the lower portion of which is split and provided with a screw 26 by tightening which the block may be clamped to the guide 22. The guide 22 and the corresponding guideway in the block 24 are preferably inclined at an angle of about twenty-five degrees to the horizontal. The block 24 is mounted for vertical adjustment upon a bracket 28 secured to the machine frame. For this purpose the bracket 28 and block 24 are 4 provided one with a rib and the other with a groove, the rib and groove extending vertically and the bracket 28 being provided with a vertical slot 36 through which a cap screw 32 extends and is thread-ed into the block 24. By loosening 5 the screws 26 and 32 it will be seen that the tread rest 20 may be adjusted either vertically or from front to rear of the machine and may thus be located in the proper position for the work in hand and inthe location desired by the operator.

The tread rest member 20 has a bore extending longitudinally through it in which is mounted a rod 34 for longitudinal reciprocation at an angle of about thirty-five degrees to the horizontal. The lower end face of the rod 34 is sharpened so as to dig into the sole and constitute a sticker point and may, if desired, have its lower end extended laterally and provided with a plurality of points. About half. way along its length the sticker point rod 34 is clamped by a bolt 36 in a split sleeve 38 extending upwardly from a slide 40 lying parallel to the rod 3.4 and arranged for limited longitudinal reciprocation in the tread rest member 20. Near its outer or forward end the slide 40 has a slot fitted to receive the rounded upper end 42 of one arm of a bell crank lever pivoted at 44 to lugs formed on the lower side of the tread rest member 20. The other arm 46 of the bell crank lever is pivoted at 48 to a link 50 which extends upwardly in a direction substantially perpendicular to the guide 22 and the upper end of which is pivoted at 52 to one arm 54 of an angle lever pivoted at 56 to a lug formed on the block 24. The other arm 58 of the angle lever is pivoted at 60 to a long link 62 which extends in a substantially horizontal direction rearwardly of the machine and is pivoted at 64 to a cam lever 66 between its ends. The lower end of. the lever 66 is fulcrumed at 68 on a bracket Ill secured to the machine frame and at its upper end that lever carries a cam roll 12 which is urged forwardly by a spring 14 acting on the lever to engage a face 16 formed on the rear side of a cam block 18 which is mounted on the main shaft 80 of the machine. The cam block 18 has its edge face formed to operate mechanism for opening and closing the gripper I and has on the outer periphery of its rear face a cam for controlling the overdraw movement of. the gripper, all as disclosed in the above-mentioned patent.

It will be seen that when the screw 32 is loosened to adjust the tread rest vertically the vertical swinging of the long link 62 will not appreciably affect the position of the sticker point or interfere with its operation by the lever 66 since it is only the entirely negligible horizontal component of the movement of the pivot 60 which tends to move the rod 34 relatively to the rest member 20. Likewise, when the screw 26 is loosened to permit adjustment of the guide 22 in the guideway 24 to vary the position of the tread rest from front to rear of the machine, the link 50 will swing on its pivot 52 without substantially altering the position of the sticker point or interfering with its operation by means of the connections described.

In the operation of the machine, the operator positions the insole A of a shoe against the lower end of the member 20 which constitutes the sole rest which is assumed to have been adjusted both vertically and from front to rear in the most suitable position for the work in hand. The operator then starts the machine in operation and the gripper l0 descends and its jaws close upon a portion of the upper C mounted upon the last B. Substantially at the same time that the jaws close, the cam 16 operates to swing the lever 66 rearwardly, thus pulling rearwardly upon the link 62 against the tension of the spring 14 and rocking the angle lever 54, 58 in a clockwise direction. At the same time the link 50 turns the bell crank lever 46 in a clockwise direction, forcing the slide 40 in a direction toward the shoe. Since the slide 40 is clamped to the rod 34, the

rod is caused to project beyond the insole-engaging end of the member 20 and into the insole, thus preventing movement of the shoe outwardly or forwardly of the machine while the gripper is being moved upwardly and forwardly to tension the gripped portion of the upper and carry it over the margin of the insole.

While the sharpened end of the sticker point rod 34 still remains buried in the insole, the tack block I2 advances to urge the portion of the upper just acted upon by the gripper downwardly against the insole and to carry a tack into position beneath the tack driver l4 to be driven into the work. When the driver has descended to drive a tack into the work, the cam 16 which controls the sticker point rod 34 allows the lever 66 to be swung forwardly by its spring 14, thus withdrawing the portion of the sticker point rod which projects beyond the shoe-engaging face of, the tread rest 20 so that the shoe can be readily moved along while the insole is still in contact with the tread rest 20 to present a new portion of the upper for the action of the lasting instrumentalities. Since the sticker point rod 34 has a rearward as well as a downward component of motion, it acts as it digs into the insole to push the shoe toward the edge gage l6 and therefore insures that the side of the shoe will be maintained pressed firmly against the edge gage l6 and thus assists in the production of a uniformly tightly lasted upper at all parts operated on. When the shoe is so held the wiper will advance equal distances over the margin of the insole during successive operations. Moreover, since the shoe will thus be clamped to some extent between the edge gage l6 and the end of the prick point rod 34 during the lasting action of the gripper, the operator will be relieved to some extent of the effort to resist tilting or twisting of the shoe due to the upward and forward pull exerted on the upper at that side of the shoe which is farthest from him.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a lasting machine of the progressive type having means for working an upper over the bottom of an insole on a last and securing the upper in lasted position, the combination with a tread rest for engaging the insole, of a sticker point arranged to be projected through the workengaging face of the rest, and means for projecting and withdrawing the sticker point in timed relation to the operation of the lasting instrumentalities.

2. In a lasting machine having lasting instrumentalities operated from a main shaft to work successive portions of an upper over an insole and securing them in lasted position, the combination with a tread rest for engaging the insole of the shoe being lasted, of a sticker point operating through the insole-engaging face of the tread rest, and connections from said sticker point to the main shaft for projecting the sticker point during the operation of the lasting instrumentalities and withdrawing it during that portion of the cycle when the work is being fed to present another portion of the upper to the lasting instrumentalities.

3. In a lasting machine of the progressive type in which a plurality of lasting instrumentalities are operated through successive cycles by a cam shaft, the combination with a tread rest mounted for vertical adjustment, of a sticker point arranged to be projected through the work-engaging in which a plurality of lasting instrumentalities' are operated through successive cycles by a cam shaft, the combination with a tread rest mounted for forward and rearward adjustment, of a sticker point arranged to be projected below the workengaging face of the rest, and operating connections between the cam shaft and the sticker point for projecting the sticker point below the face of the rest into the insole during a portion of the cycle and for withdrawing it during the remainder of the cycle, said connections being constructed and arranged to permit said forward and rearward adjustment of the tread rest without substantially affecting the operation of the sticker point.

5. In a lasting machine of the progressive type in which a plurality of lasting instrumentalities are operated through successive cycles by a cam shaft, the combination with a tread rest mounted for front and rear adjustment, of a sticker point arranged to be projected below the work-engaging face of the rest, operating connections between the cam shaft and the sticker point comprising a link perpendicular to the direction of ront and rear adjustment, and an angle lever between the link and the sticker point, said connections acting to project the sticker point below the face of the rest into the insole during a portion of the cycle and to release the sticker point during the remainder of the cycle notwithstanding front and rear adjustments of the tread rest.

6. In a lasting machine of the progressive type in which a plurality of lasting instrumentaiities are operated through successive cycles by a cam shaft, the combination with a tread rest mounted for vertical adjustment, of a sticker point arranged to be projected below the work-engaging face of the rest, operating connections between the cam shaft and the sticker point comprising a horizontal link, and an angle lever between the link and the sticker point, said connections acting to project the sticker point below the face of the rest into the insole during a portion of the cycle connections acting to project the maind-er of the cycle notwithstanding vertical adjustments of the treadrest.

'7. In a lasting machine having lasting instru-.

mentalities operated from a main shaft to work successive portions of an upper over an insole and secure them in lasted position, the combination with a vertically and laterally adjustable and to release the sticker point during the re-.

tread rest for engaging the insole of the shoe being lasted, of a sticker point operating through the sole-engaging face of the'rest, and connec-' tions from said sticker point to the main shaft for projecting the sticker point during the opera tion of the lasting instrumentalities and withdrawing it during that portion of the cycle when the Work is beingfed to present another portion of the upper to the lasting instrumentalities, the operation of said connections being substantially unafiected by vertical or lateral adjustment of the tread rest.

8. In a lasting machine of the hand method type, the combination with a tread rest, of a sticker point arranged to be projected through the Work-engaging face of the rest at a downwardly and rearwardly directed angle, and operating connections from the sticker point to the machine for projecting the sticker point into an insole resting thereagainst to hold the shoe from movement and to force it rearwardly during that portion of the cycle while the lasting instrumentalities are operating and for withdrawing the sticker point into the tread rest during the the cycle when the work is being fed.

9. In a lasting machine of the p-rogressivetype in which a plurality of lasting instrumentalities are operated through successive cycles by a cam shaft, the combination with a tread rest mounted for vertical and front to rear adjustment, of a sticker point arranged to be projected below the work-engaging face of the rest and to have a rearward component of movement, operating connections between the cam shaft and the sticker point comprising a horizontal link and alink perpendicular to the direction of front and rear adjust-, ment, an angle lever between the links and between one of the links and the sticker point, said sticker point insole with a during a porbelow the face of the rest into the component of rearward movement tion of the cycle and to release the during the remainder of the cycle, and a spring for retracting the sticker point. r

ARTHUR BATES.

portion of I Lil;

sticker point 50 

